The City of Chanhassen

Founded in 1852, the city of Chanhassen is a delightfully small and bustling community of 24,481, located in the southwest suburbs of the Twin Cities.  It is a fantastic city in which to live, work, and play.  In fact, Money Magazine just ranked Chanhassen the second best place to live in the nation.  Not surprising, with unemployment at three points below the national average as of May 2009 and property taxes dropping every year the last five years straight.  Family Circle Magazine ranked Chanhassen in its top ten best cities in America to raise a family.  With a 500-acre park system, 12 lakes, two top-notch school districts, and a plethora of fabulous community events, Chanhassen truly is a great place to live.

STATISTICS

• Location: Southwest Twin Cities Metro
• Population: 24,481 (April 1, 2009)
• Acreage: 14,427 in 24 sq. miles
• County: Carver, some in Hennepin
• Highways: 5 major – 5, 7 and 212 run east/west and 41 and 101 run north/south
• Public Transportation: Bus System – SW Transit

PARKS, LAKES, & RECREATION

Few cities can boast the wealth of recreation hotspots that Chanhassen can.  Twelve beautiful lakes, six public beaches, nearly 30 parks totaling 500 acres, five nature preserves, 55 miles of trails, and an 1000 acre landscape arboretum featuring gardens, trails, wetlands, and woodlands – Chanhassen has it all.

Neighborhood Parks

• Bandimere Heights Park, 9290 Kiowa Trail
• Carver Beach Playground, 900 Carver Beach Road
• Cathcart Park, West 62nd Street
• Chanhassen Estates Park, 55 Lake Drive East
• Chanhassen Hills Park, 8579 Chanhassen Hills Drive South
• Curry Farms Park, 1300 Stratton Court
• Greenwood Shores Park, 7110 Utica Lane
• Herman Field Park, 2591 Forest Avenue
• Kerber Pond Park, 7380 Kerber Boulevard
• Meadow Green Park, 921 Pontiac Lane
• Minnewashta Heights Park, 6220 Dogwood Avenue
• North Lotus Lake Park, 295 Pleasant View Road
• Pheasant Hill Park, 1720 Lake Lucy Lane
• Power Hill Park, 8702 Flamingo Drive
• Prairie Knoll Park, 1124 Dove Court
• Rice Marsh Lake Park, 8119 Erie Circle
• Roundhouse Park, 3950 Kings Road
• Stone Creek Park, 2250 Stone Creek Lane East
• South Lotus Lake, 7610 South Shore Drive
• Sugarbush Park, 7220 Galpin Boulevard
• Sunset Ridge Park, 1364 Lake Susan Hills Drive

City Parks

• Bandimere Park
• City Center Park
• Lake Ann Park
• Lake Susan Park

Nature Preserves

• Bluff Creek Preserve, Audubon Road
• Chanhassen Nature Preserve, Coulter Boulevard
• Lake Susan Preserve
• Pleasant View Preserve, Pleasant View Road
• Rice Marsh Lake Preserve, Dakota Lane

Trails

• 55 miles of trails

Lakes

• Christmas Lake
• Harrison Lake
• Lake Ann
• Lake Lucy
• Lake Minnewashta
• Lake Riley
• Lake St. Joe
• Lake Susan
• Lotus Lake
• Rice Lake
• Rice Marsh Lake
• Silver Lake

Beaches

• Lake Ann Beach, Lake Ann Park
• Minnewashta Regional Park, Highway 41 between Highways 5 & 7.
• Carver Beach on Lotus Lake, 6891 Lotus Trail
• Greenwood Shores Beach on Lake Ann, 7110 Utica Lane
• Lake Susan Beach in Lake Susan Park, 903 Lake Drive East
• Roundhouse Park Beach on Lake Minnewashta, 3950 Kings Road

Campgrounds

• Baylor Park, 10775 Co. Rd. 33, Norwood Young America, 952-466-5250
• Dakotah Meadows, 2341 Park Pl., Prior Lake, 1-800-653-CAMP or 952-445-8800
• Fish Lake Acres Campground, 3000 210^th St. E., Prior Lake, 952-492-3393
• Minneapolis S.W. KOA, 3315 166^th St. W., Jordan, 952-492-6440
• MN Horse & Hunt Club (Campground & RV Park), 2920 220^th St., Prior Lake, 952-447-2266
• MN Valley Trail State Park Rec Area, 19825 Park Blvd., Jordan, 952-492-6400
• Shakopee Valley RV Park, 1245 Bluff Ave. E., Shakopee, 952-445-7313
• Will’s Riverview RV Park, 1705 3^rd Ave. W., Shakopee, 952-445-5323

REAL ESTATE

As you can imagine, with Chanhassen ranked the second best place to live in the nation, real estate has been a hot commodity.  In the past year, approximately400 homes have sold.  While some homes in Chanhassen date earlier, most are fairly new, with the average Chanhassen home dating to 1993.  There are a variety of homes found in Chanhassen, from four story homes to townhomes, from lakeshore to farmland, and the prices reflect that.  The highest listing price in the past year was $2,399,900 and the lowest was $79,900.  There’s something for everyone!

Quick Facts

• Average price per square foot: $154
• Average percentage of listing price: 94%
• Average asking price: $432,066
• Average square footage: 3121 sq. ft.
• Number of houses sold in the past year: 149

SCHOOLS

Chanhassen plays host to a number of excellent schools, both public and private.  There are two public schools districts within the city, Eastern Carver County School District 112 and Minnetonka District 276.  District 112 accounts for approximately 72% of Chanhassen’s student population.

• Public
  • Eastern Carver County School District 112
    • 1 kindergarten center, 2 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, 1 freshmen center, 2 high schools
  • Minnetonka District 276
    • elementary schools, 2 middle schools, 1 high school
• Private
  • St. Hubert Catholic School
  • Chapel Hill Academy
• Preschools
  • La Petite Academy
  • The Goddard School
  • Children’s World Learning Center
  • KinderCare
  • New Horizon Child Care
  • Children of Tomorrow

RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS

• Discovery United Methodist Church
• Family of Christ Lutheran Church (ELCA)
• Chanhassen Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses
• Oasis Church
• Living Christ Lutheran Church (LCMS)
• New Life Christian Fellowship
• St. Hubert Catholic Community
• Temple of Eck, Eckankar
• Westwood Community Church
• Bethel Fellowship Community Church

COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS

At no time is the sense of community stronger than during the many community celebrations in Chanhassen.  Over the course of the year there are a number of seasonal and holiday events including the February Festival, Easter egg hunt, Arbor Day celebration, a 4^th of July celebration, a Halloween party, and a tree lighting ceremony. Other events include ChanJam, the KleinBank Summer Concert Series, the Dave Huffman 5K Memorial Run, and the Fire Department Open House.

• February Festival
  • The festival is held each year on the first Saturday of February on Lake Ann. With over 800 fishing holes drilled in the ice on Lake Ann, this is a great family event.  Activities at the event include open ice skating, a s’mores cookout over a bonfire, bingo, a horse-drawn hayride, a raffle, and an ice fishing contest! Each year this event brings in around 2,000 people.
• The Easter Egg Hunt
  • Held at the Chanhassen Recreation Center, this event has been a Chanhassen tradition for 25 years. Over 900 children and their parents attend the festivities.  The program includes live entertainment, a coloring contest, the candy hunt, and an appearance from the Easter Bunny.
• 4^th of July Celebration
  • One of the biggest Chanhassen events is the 4^th of July Celebration.  Over 4,500 people attend the event per day. Usually held on July 3^rd and 4^th, the festivities include a kiddie parade, community parade, carnival rides and games, adult and children fishing festivals, beach games, the SouthWest Metro Chamber of Commerce Business Fair, a street dance featuring the ChanJam winners and a professional band, Taste of Chanhassen, and an incredible display of fireworks over Lake Ann. It is definitely not to be missed!

• Tree Lighting Ceremony
  • Every year Chanhassen residents celebrate the holiday season by witnessing the lighting of the holiday tree, enjoying refreshments, seeing live reindeer, admiring gingerbread house displays, and welcoming Santa Claus himself.

ENTERTAINMENT

Don’t be fooled by the small town charm – there is plenty of entertainment to be found in Chanhassen!  With three places to golf and a PGA course just a town away, you can perfect your swing in no time.  The Chanhassen Cinema provides an outlet for film enthusiasts while those more inclined to the theatre will find fantastic musical and plays alike at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre.  Fans of music will not be disappointed in the live acts featured at the School II, a great place to enjoy a cup of coffee or glass of wine.  Bookworms can take solace in the aisles of the expansive city library.

Those who would rather get outdoors can find solace in the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum’s vast grounds, featuring a rose garden, Japanese garden, and natural wetlands among its other features.  There’s even something for the foodies!  Chanhassen boasts restaurants featuring everything from Thai food to Mexican cuisine to all-American burgers.  And if none of that sounds like something you’re looking for, Chanhassen is only a few miles away from the twin cities!